


Poppet, It's Cold Outside

by rebel_ren



Series: Drabbles Against Despair [30]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: AU where everyone's human, Bedsharing, Cold Weather, Hotels, No Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-19 10:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29749128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_ren/pseuds/rebel_ren
Summary: What are two friends supposed to do on a wintry night when the hotel they find only takes cash - which they are in short supply of -andoffers a couples' discount?
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell
Series: Drabbles Against Despair [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666300
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	Poppet, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from this site ([link](https://thecharactercomma.com/writing-prompt-generator/)): “But if they think we’re a couple, we’ll get the couples’ discount!”
> 
> I remembered [la-muerta's](https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta) fun Alec/Magnus fic ([link](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13078005/chapters/29918001)) about halfway through writing this. It also involves cold weather, needing cash for a place to stay, etc. If you like this, you might enjoy that as well!

“Ooh!” Magnus says, pointing to a sign in the lobby of the rundown hotel.

**_Lovers Welcome!_ **   
**_Ask About Our Valentine’s Special!_ **   
**_All Couples Get a Discount!_ **

“No,” Ragnor says immediately, his voice colder than the arctic blast currently outdoors. “Magnus, _no._ ”

“Oh, come _on,_ ” Magnus says. “But if they think we’re a couple, we’ll get the couples’ discount!”

Ragnor shakes his head firmly and picks up his travel bag, apparently hellbent on ignoring Magnus’ suggestion away.

“Shit,” Magnus says, putting a hand on Ragnor’s arm.

“Magnu-” Ragnor starts to say something, but Magnus jerks his head to indicate the check-in counter, where a little sign clearly states: “Cash Only.”

Ragnor blanches at the sight, and Magnus nods grimly. “Are _you_ heading out in this weather to try and find an ATM? I’m sure as hell not. And, after dinner… I definitely don’t have enough cash on hand to pay for a room on my own.”

“Same,” Ragnor says with a sigh as he checks his wallet.

Magnus waits. They both know how this is going to go, but rushing Ragnor won’t help matters. 

After a moment, Ragnor nods, his perspective shifting in an instant from seeing ‘coupledom’ as a ridiculous suggestion to seeing it as the only way they can afford to stay here tonight. He squares his shoulders and picks up his overnight bag. “Come along then, _poppet,_ ” he says, his jaw clenched.

“Poppet? Really?” Magnus rolls his eyes as he follows after Ragnor. “Only you would go with _poppet_ …” he hisses at Ragnor’s back.

Still, Magnus is nothing if not thorough. He cuddles close at the check-in counter, taking Ragnor’s arm and giving him the sappiest smile he can muster. Partly because it can’t hurt to sell the lie and, well. _Mostly_ because he can practically see the smoke coming out of Ragnor’s ears and it amuses him greatly.

“Okay, you’re all set!” the hotel clerk says, handing them two keycards. “Have a wonderful stay!” They lean forward slightly. “Since it’s such an awful night to be out, I gave you the nicest suite we have available.”

Magnus beams at them, thanking them profusely. Ragnor thanks them too, though less profusely than Magnus, and then they are home free, only a hallway or two away from a good night’s rest.

Or so Magnus thinks.

Ragnor opens the door first. He stops dead in his tracks, and Magnus bumps right into him.

“Hey, what the hell?” Magnus asks.

Ragnor steps aside, uncharacteristically silent, and then Magnus sees.

The clerk has given them the honeymoon suite.

Shit. Magnus feels at least partly responsible for this outcome since he was the one trying to be all cutesy at the front desk. “It’s… it’ll be fine!” he says quickly. “See, we, uh… we get a bigger bed!” He points to the frankly enormous round bed that seems to take up almost the entirety of the floor space in the room. “And towel animals!”

Ragnor’s shoulders sag and begin to shake, and Magnus _stares._ Has… has this, of all things, broken the great Ragnor Fell?

“Are… are you okay?” Magnus asks, laying a hand on Ragnor’s shoulder.

Ragnor shakes his head and guffaws, which is when Magnus realises Ragnor is _laughing._

“Damn, you actually had me worried there,” Magnus says, relaxing.

Ragnor shakes his head, closing the door behind them. “The fucking honeymoon suite,” he mumbles, seemingly unable to stop laughing.

“Okay, okay,” Magnus says, flopping down onto the bed. “But hey, there are worse things.”

“There are indeed,” Ragnor says, taking a seat on the other side of the bed. “At least we’re in here and warm and have a place to sleep. And truthfully,” he says, glancing over at Magnus. “I’ve had worse bedfellows…”

Magnus chuckles. “As have I, friend. Much.” With that, he gets up and sets about brushing the rose petals off the bed and carefully setting the towel menagerie to the side.

Magnus’ good feelings last until they go to bed. Ragnor falls asleep immediately, snores atrociously, and hogs all the blankets. Still, Magnus does sleep, and he wakes up the next morning with Ragnor wrapped around him. All things considered, lifelong blackmail material isn’t a bad result.


End file.
